Wolves special assistant Fred Hoiberg will announce at a 1 p.m. press conference today at Target Center whether he will retire or continue a comeback attempt as a player next season. It wouldn't be surprising if Hoiberg retires. He said recently that there was only a "small chance" that he would resume playing. He would be the first player in NBA history to compete with a pacemaker, and that's an obstacle that wouldn't be easy to overcome.

Hoiberg, who had open-heart surgery in June, is considering a move to front office with the Wolves. He recently attended the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament on the behalf of the team and did some unofficial scouting.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Guard Fred Hoiberg announced his retirement and returned to the Minnesota Timberwolves on the same day.

Hoiberg
After undergoing heart surgery last June, Hoiberg was waived by the Timberwolves and did not play this season. Now he is back with the organization in a front-office capacity relating to both the basketball department and business operations.

"When Fred relayed to us his decision to retire we didn't waste a minute in asking him to join our front-office staff," Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said at Monday's news conference. "We will use his many talents on both the basketball and business sides of the team."

The 33-year-old Hoiberg underwent surgery to correct an enlarged aortic root on June 28 and has spent the last 10 months rehabbing and consulting with doctors.

"It is a difficult decision to make, but after talking with my family, I have come to the conclusion to retire from basketball," Hoiberg said. "All of you are aware of the journey I've taken this past year, and I just want to relay to all of the people that sent along their prayers and well wishes my heartfelt thanks. It was truly overwhelming to me and my family the outpouring that we received from the Twin Cities community and from across the Midwest."

Hoiberg averaged 5.8 points and 1.1 assists in 76 games with the Timberwolves and led the league with a 48.3 percent shooting percentage (70-for-145) from 3-point range in 2004-05.

In 10 seasons with Indiana (1995-99), Chicago (1999-2003) and Minnesota (2003-05), Hoiberg owns career averages of 5.4 points and 1.6 assists in 541 games. He is a lifetime 43 percent shooter from the field, including just under 40 percent from the arc.